Babelomurex cariniferus
Apertural view of Babelomurex cariniferus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Genus: Babelomurex
Species:
B. cariniferus
Binomial name
Babelomurex cariniferus
(Sowerby I, 1834)
Synonyms[2]
  • Babelomurex (Babelomurex) babelis Réquien, E., 1848
  • Babelomurex (Babelomurex) bozzetti Kosuge, S., 1994
  • Babelomurex spinulosus Costa, O.G., 1861
  • Coralliophila babelis Requien
  • Coralliophila carinata Koroneos, 1979
  • Coralliophila lacerata (Deshayes, 1856)
  • Coralliophila lacerata var. piruloides Martens, 1876 (dubious synonym)
  • Fusus babelis Requien, 1848
  • Fusus babelis var. regalis Requien, 1848
  • Latiaxis babelis (Requien, 1848) (junior synonym)
  • Latiaxis cariniferus (Sowerby I, 1834) (currently placed in genus Babelomurex)
  • Latiaxis elegans Angas, 1878 (synonym)
  • Murex cariniferus Sowerby G.B. I, 1834
  • Murex laceratum Deshayes, 1856 (dubious synonym)
  • Pseudomurex minor Monterosato, T.A. de M. di, 1872
  • Purpura gravesii Broderip, 1837

Babelomurex cariniferus, common name Babel's latiaxis, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[2][3]

Distribution

Babelomurex cariniferus is present from the Mediterranean Sea to the west coast of Africa (Canaries, Cape Verde, Angola).[2][4][5][6]

This species (as junior synonym Latiaxis babelis) is listed in the IUCN Red List, because it is thought to be endemic to Malta.[1]

Habitat

These sea snails live in the coral reef among corals and sponges. They can be found from a few meters to more than 1000.[2][7]

A shell of Babelomurex cariniferus from Sicily

Description

Shells of Babelomurex cariniferus can reach a size of 20–45 millimetres (0.79–1.77 in).[5] The shell surface may be whitish or dark greyish.[8] These shells are variably shaped. They show numerous flattened spires with very thorny axial ribs. The keels of the whorls are adorned with several spiniform scales. A corneous operculum is present.[7][9]

This species is quite similar to Babelomurex benoiti, but Babelomurex cariniferus is more variable in feature and sculpture and differs in the number of spiniform scales.[10]

Biology

These uncommon infralittoral sea snails are specialist feeders. In fact they feed exclusively on the polyps of the colonies of scleractinian stony corals.[7][11]

References

  1. 1 2 Palazzi, S. (1996). "Latiaxis babelis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T11368A3273689. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T11368A3273689.en.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Babelomurex cariniferus (Sowerby, 1834). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 April 2010.
  3. ↑ Biolib
  4. ↑ Galli C.: WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base
  5. 1 2 "Babelomurex (Babelomurex) cariniferus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Discover Life
  7. 1 2 3 "Ginux.univpm". Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Giovanni Nikiforos (2002). Fauna del Mediterraneo. Giunti Editore. p. 184. ISBN 978-88-09-02608-7.
  9. ↑ Conchiglie del Mediterraneo
  10. ↑ Ghisotti, F., 1978: Considerations on Latiaxis babelis and on Latiaxis amaliae Conchiglie (Milan) 14(7-8): 135-142
  11. ↑ Alexandra Richter and Angel A. Luque Sex change in two Mediterranean species of Coralliophilidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neogastropoda)

Bibliography

  • Cossignani T. (2010) Validazione di Babelomurex tectumsinensis (Deshayes, 1856). Malacologia Mostra Mondiale 66: 19
  • Emilio Rolan - Malacological Fauna from the Cape Verde Archipelago
  • Gofas, S.; Afonso, J.P.; Brandào, M. (Ed.). (S.a.). Conchas e Moluscos de Angola = Coquillages et Mollusques d'Angola. [Shells and molluscs of Angola]. Universidade Agostinho / Elf Aquitaine Angola: Angola. 140 pp.
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
  • Repetto G., Orlando F. & Arduino G. (2005): Conchiglie del Mediterraneo, Amici del Museo "Federico Eusebio", Alba, Italy
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